How To Normalise an Overactive Immune System
What is an overactive immune system?
First things first – what on earth is an overactive immune system? Think of it like this – your immune system is constantly working overtime to prevent exposure of daily harmful chemicals from disrupting the homeostasis of our internal bodily processes. When there’s chronic inflammation caused by genetic predisposition, stress, food allergies, leaky gut, toxic exposure and more, the immune system mistakenly starts to attack its very own tissues and thus an overactive, or auto-immune picture occurs. To normalise an overactive immune system, you first need to find out what factors are contributing to your individual case. Immune dysregulation causes can range anywhere from poor gut health, sub-optimal functioning detoxification pathways, elevated toxic load/chemical exposure, food allergies or intolerances, inflammation, stress & more.
How to normalise an overactive immune system
Gut health
Let’s start with the gut microbiome and its role in immune homeostasis. With 70-80% of immune cells being present in the gut, there is no doubt that there’s an intricate interplay between the two. An imbalance of bacteria in the gut microbiome, and/or impaired gut barrier function, can trigger disruptions in immune homeostasis and cause it to become overactive. Focusing on healing your gut through a wholefood, anti-inflammatory diet, stress management, and eliminating aggravating factors is the first port of call for a happy microbiome. Additional therapeutic support in the form of high quality supplements, herbs and/or additional testing might be necessary for intestinal barrier repair and gut dysbiosis.
Lifestyle
Your lifestyle has a profound effect on your gut health and its contribution to autoimmunity. Combating stress and anxiety has been shown to have a direct positive effect on the delicate balance of the gut microbiome via the gut-brain axis. Lifestyle factors such as incorporating a mindfulness routine into your day, or increasing your time in nature are great places to start to manage stress levels naturally. Other factors such as exercising regularly helps to modulate inflammation by reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines and increasing anti-inflammatory cytokines.
Anti-inflammatory diet
As an overactive immune system has a lot to do with inflammation, reducing your intake of inflammatory foods is only going to ease autoimmune symptoms. Nutrition and immune function are closely related and can be managed by focusing on a high intake of fresh fruits, vegetables, oily fish (salmon, sardines), wholegrains, nuts, legumes and olive oil, and lowering your intake of refined carbs and sugar.
Herbs to calm an overactive immune system
Research shows that hidden food allergies could serve as autoimmune triggers, as well as an excess of mercury and other metals. Our Newcastle naturopaths can take you through appropriate functional testing to investigate overactive immunity via IgG food testing, heavy metal toxicity, GI mapping and more, alongside herbal and nutraceutical support specific to your case. To start your health journey, “book here” to see one of our expert naturopaths and get to the bottom of managing your overactive immune system.
